Strip Mall Fire Leaves $800,000 in Damage
A fire of unknown origin burned through three stores in a Santa Clarita strip mall early Friday, causing about $800,000 in damage.
The cause is under investigation, but the fire did not appear to have been deliberately set, authorities said.
“We have no reason to believe it was a fire of suspicious circumstances,” said Capt. Steve Valenzuela of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Firefighters arrived at the shopping center in the 23400 block of Lyons Avenue at 7:40 a.m. and saw fire and smoke coming through the roof of a Radio Shack store in the center of the strip mall, Valenzuela said. The blaze quickly spread through the attic to an adjacent shoe store and a crafts store.
About 70 firefighters from as far away as La Canada Flintridge battled the blaze, which was knocked down in about an hour. There were no injuries.
Valenzuela said an Urban Search and Rescue team would go through the buildings using a thermal imaging device to search for hot spots.
Damage was initially estimated at $300,000 to the building and $500,000 to the contents of the stores, but those figures could climb, Valenzuela said.
A restaurant next door to Radio Shack suffered smoke damage only.
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